


Legends

by carmenta



Series: Change of Times [3]
Category: Vampire Chronicles - Rice
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 1999-07-01
Updated: 1999-07-01
Packaged: 2017-10-08 02:32:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/71781
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carmenta/pseuds/carmenta





	Legends

The coven had gathered in the hall, the catacombs were crowded with pale figures in black robes. All of the flock were present and preparing for a great Sabbat. There had been some confusion when they had been told that we would not celebrate outside, but in the very midst of our hiding place. But as usual, they had ceased to wonder after some time, and were now carrying the logs for the pyre inside. Something would happen, they knew it, but what exactly it would be they could only guess.

Isabella and I had been working out a plan together; she had been amazingly cooperative and helpful. But nevertheless I had taken a few precautions she did not know of; one could never be too careful. And I could not be sure if she would really let me go, though she did not seem to intend to do anything to prevent it. That meant nothing, of course, I had taught her all too well how to keep her true goals hidden from others.

Now she was walking down the stairs in the company of a few of the flock with whom she had been out hunting. Dismissing them, she came to my side, and watched the building of the pyre. I had given orders to arrange a great Sabbat, in the old style, with the Latin chants and the dancing that regularly turned into a turmoil of bodies after some time. Tonight I was counting upon creating a chaos, and the more confused the coven was, the better. The last thing I could use was a group of vampires who knew exactly what was happening. I did not feel comfortable about Isabella knowing that I would leave, but it had been impossible not to tell her. All I could do was to act reckless and unpredictable. Thinking different would be important, she knew too well how my mind worked in normal situations; and I could only hope to guess what she might do.

I was not sure if she would really be able to govern the coven, but she was determined to take over, and the more I thought of it, the more tired I grew of ruling the flock. It was time to change, after more than three centuries in this position, I needed to see if life was possible in the world of mortals. How ironic, to think that I would become exactly what I had been hunting down all those years. The hunter became the prey, and had to flee his own hounds. And if I had trained them too well, they would tear me apart.

Another group came into the catacombs, under the leadership of Jacques, Isabella's lover and favourite tool. I could not say why I disliked him that intensely, but I could hardly stand being in the same room with him. He was such a blind fool, did not realize that he would not partake in the ruling; I supposed that Isabella would do away with him as soon as he had ceased to be useful, and that could happen sooner than expected. And it made me feel satisfied to envisage him burning in the flames; what would she do with him, say that he was insane? That he was guilty of treason? That he had killed another of us? She might even accuse him of my death to get rid of him, a thought I enjoyed immensely.

Jacques seemed to give orders, he was talking and pointing repeatedly at Isabella and me. A few of his group nodded and came towards us, bowing when they reached us. I was not sure if they were showing their respect of me or of Isabella, though. But that didn't matter anymore.

"What do you want?" Isabella asked one of them, casting me a questioning glance. I nodded, it was better if she handled this, it would become her responsibility anyway within a few hours.  
"Master," he addressed me, while fixing his eyes on her, "disturbing news from the coven house in Prague. It seems that..." Isabella interrupted him with a small gesture.  
"Where is the messenger? Certainly there has been one."  
"He is gone, he disappeared after telling us horrifying things..."  
"What things?" I admired her for her self control; if we had been alone, I would have congratulated her.  
"That mortals have found out about the coven, and that they killed the whole flock during the day... like what happened to the Court of the Ruby Grail, they cut their heads off and left them to burn in the sun."  
"The Court is a mere legend, nobody knows if it ever existed." Dear Isabella, she was wrong about this, but I did not want to correct her. Maybe it was best if everybody forgot about the Florentine coven, and their cruel end. They had been clever, but not clever enough. I was not completely sure what had happened to them, but from what I knew either a rogue or a mortal had killed them. Insufficient precautions.

"Apart from the tales of beheaded vampires, what can you tell me that does not sound like a fairy tale to shock little children?" Isabella glowered at the one standing in front of her, and he averted his eyes, discomfort and fear radiating from him in waves.  
"The coven has disappeared, the old castle they inhabited has been burned to the ground. Nothing is left."

My mind raced, I tried to think of what to do now. Losing Prague was unacceptable, the city was the gate to the north-east, to Prussia, Scandinavia and Russia. But if the coven was destroyed completely, it would be dangerous to send others there as long as it was not sure what had happened. There might have been a rogue, I knew that they sometimes had powers beyond imagination. They could fly, incinerate distant buildings with their mind, hear the thoughts of others no matter how well they were shielding. It would be necessary to send a group of vampires there whose loss would not matter, to check out the situation. If they returned, good. If not, who cared? Then a few trustworthy others, under the leadership of a strong, clever one, would go and colonize the city again, until there was a stable coven. Of course there was always the danger that the new group would separate itself from us...

Stop thinking about this! I told myself. This is not your responsibility anymore, leave it to Isabella to deal with the problem. I had difficulties to get used to the idea that from tomorrow on I would not have to care about ruling the coven anymore. Not surprising, I had been in this position for so long, it seemed to me that I had done nothing else for my entire life. It really was time to change this, immortality could not only consist of governing others. There had to be more, and I was about to find out what exactly it was.

Isabella looked at me, and I nodded slightly, watching as she went into one of the cells to question the unfortunate vampire. The others had nearly finished building the pyre; it would be a magnificent Sabbat to witness. Some of the fledglings had not yet participated in a true Sabbat, I would make sure that they did not forget this one. I turned to take a last walk through the catacombs; even though I had never been very attached to the place, it had been my home for nearly all my immortal life, and it was not easy to just leave it behind. A part of myself would always remain here; I knew that I would hardly be forgotten by the covens. What remained uncertain was what they would say about me, if they would think of me as the wise founder, or the evil tyrant. That they thought of me as a combination of both was unlikely, tales and legends tended to only use extremes.

The old, narrow tunnels were deserted, the flock was either gathering in the main hall, or still out hunting. I could feel the cold radiating from the stones, if I touched them I would have felt the condensed water on their surface. Some of the passages led to caverns that lay just below the river, the humidity came from the water that drenched the ceilings and created puddles on the floor. We only used a part of the subterranean labyrinth anymore since mortals had rediscovered the entrances to the catacombs. From time to time one of those unfortunate investigators would stumble into areas he was not supposed to see; they never lived to tell about it, and rumors about ghosts guarding the old Christian burial places were not uncommon. That we lived in a cemetery beneath the earth served the purpose of remaining a secret to the people who lived above us; hardly anybody dared enter the passages lined with the loculi, the graves of the first Christians. The corpses were long gone, rotten and crumbled to dust; now we inhabited their graveyard, slept in the sarcophagi, the crypts in which the bones of the martyrs had been stored were our cells. Surrounded by tufaceous walls decorated with fading frescoes we had made our home in the galleries that went on for miles. I would not miss the smell of mud and dust when I left.

I had ordered that the Sabbat should begin at stroke midnight; through one of the lucemariae, the shafts that served as skylights and a means for ventilation, I heard the bells of St. Peter's Cathedral and knew that some time was left. It felt strange to think that I would never return here, I had expected to at least regret leaving everything behind. But now I did not even want to take my few belongings with me that I had left in my cell. What were those things to me but a reminder of my life here? My memories served that purpose equally well, if not better. And whatever I might need would not be difficult to obtain. Clothes and money I could take from my victims, and what they would provide me with was certainly better than the old coins and moth-eaten, old-fashioned garments I called my own.

What would expect me out there? I, like the rest of the flock, had only left the catacombs to hunt, and to lead the coven to attack rogues. Concentrating on completing the task, I had always returned as soon as it was done. The times when I had wandered under the nightly sky seemed long gone, and indeed they were, having taken place centuries ago. What I remembered from that time had changed, maybe beyond recognition.

I would have to start from the beginning; learn to live again as if I had never been alive before. Somehow I dreaded this, I did not know at all what expected me out there, had never paid attention to the rules according to which the mortals lived. A mistake, I realized; I should have studied the human society of this age, its patterns, its movements. If only I had more time left, a month would be sufficient to at least understand the basic principles. But all I had were minutes before the Sabbat would begin, and my life in the coven would end.

The thought scared me, the finality of it, the certain knowledge that once I made this step, there was no way back. Regretting was possible, but useless, time could not be turned backwards. I wondered if I knew at all what I was doing here; I was not sure of that anymore. Maybe I should question my sanity... I ruled my flock, was the only one who controlled instead of being controlled. Why give this up? I was about to trade it in for an uncertain future, making enemies of those who were my supporters and followers now. Instead of leading the pack, I would run from it. Was that not madness?

Of course it was. But the rogues, the Children of the Millennia were also called mad, and they appeared to lead rather pleasant lives as long as they were not disturbed by the covens. If insanity meant living in mortal luxury, away from the covens and the perpetual fights for power, I would gladly take it. I was about to go mad, and I enjoyed the thought of it.

From above I heard the bells of the churches call the believing to the midnight mass; that did not happen usually, what made tonight so special that it deserved an additional service? It was spring... could it be Easter? The covens did not follow the feasts of the Church, we had our own holy days. Only the All Souls' Day we celebrated too, it had a meaning for us as well. Souls were what connected us to the mortal world, the souls were what mortals and vampires had in common. At the Feast of the Dead, when Christian society mourned for whom they had lost, we did not hunt but spend the night in meditation, praying for those who had fallen victim to us.

It was time to return to the others, to do what had to be done. Suddenly I was not so sure anymore that I really wanted this, but there was no way back anymore. If I did not go tonight, Isabella would let me stay for a while, and finally arrange an "accident" or something else to get me out of her way. I should consider it gratitude that she allowed me to leave at all, I knew that I would have acted differently. If I had been in her position, I would not have let the old master stay alive, that would have been too dangerous. Rogues were threatening enough, but rogues who knew everything about the patterns and lairs of the covens were a danger that could hardly be ignored. If Isabella was not planning anything to prevent my flight, she was more stupid than I had believed her to be.

The way back through the narrow tunnels was shorter than I had thought; I would have preferred to have a little more time before I had to leave all this forever. I reached out and brushed my fingertips over the moist surface of the stones; paint fragments from an old mural made the wall rough. The atmosphere was something I would not miss; in three hundred years I had never enjoyed living in damp catacombs where the water and occasionally the sewage of the city above seeped through the ceilings. The smell of earth, stones and mould I did not notice anymore, still they were here, surrounding us. I could only guess how our robes smelled when we left the catacombs. The first thing to do when I left here would be washing myself and getting new clothes. No. The first thing to do was getting out of the territory of the coven, then I could start worrying about my appearance.

In the main hall the coven was gathering, chatting excitedly and generally behaving like a group that was expecting something. A few of the flock had been made only weeks ago, when Isabella and I had decided to raise our numbers. It had been more or less Isabella's idea, but it had only been reasonable for her to do this now. The young fledglings would not remember me, but live under her reign, and become strong supporters. They had never before seen a true Sabbat and added to the excitement, something I had hoped for. I needed a confused group tonight that did not pay attention to everything.

Isabella was standing in the entrance of the tunnel that led to one of the crypts where prisoners were kept. Amadeo had been in that one, I remembered. He was the only one who had ever come out of there alive. What would he think when he heard of this? Probably that I had gone mad, it was what I had taught him. Hardly any vampires live for more than two or three centuries, and if they do, they go mad. That was a well-known fact; every fledgling was taught this together with the Laws. But why should I care what Amadeo believed, it would hardly make a difference to him if I was still here, or if I was reported dead or insane. Maybe he would leave his coven too, and I would see him again. The question remained if he would ever abandon his flock.

I touched Isabella's mind lightly, something I did not like to do at all; it required lowering my shields a little. She looked at me and came at my side, smiling a little. She was probably thinking of the future, seeing herself as the leader. I wondered if she would call herself Master, the traditional title, or if she would change it.

"Everything is ready," she said, not taking her eyes off the activities of the others. "The whole coven is gathered here, you don't have to expect guards at the entrances." No guards? That was unusual and suspicious. There always were sentinels at least at the two main tunnels to make sure that no mortals accidentally stumbled into the very midst of whatever we were doing. Why had she not taken these precautions? Maybe I was turning a little paranoid, but I was planning to stay alive and not to get captured and killed in an ambush.

"Very well. Remember, you don't know what happened. Give order to examine the catacombs, organize everything and let them get used to the fact that you give the commands before you proclaim yourself the new leader." I hesitated for a moment, thinking about this again. "No, better have somebody else nominate you. Certainly Jacques can do that." I looked around to see where he was, but could not find him in the turmoil.

"A good idea. Don't forget that you have to leave the Papal States within a week. After that period we will come after you if you are still here. And I am not sure if I can avoid hunting you down earlier if you are seen by any of the flock." Nodding, I stared at the prepared pyre, going through my plans one last time. I had to be sure that I knew what I had to do, if I made a mistake tonight, it might very well be the last of my life.

It had to work, it simply had to. I had planned everything carefully, Isabella knew nothing about the route I would take to leave the catacombs and the city. Everything was as secure as it could be, still it was dangerous. But I was willing to risk everything, wasn't I?

The coven was looking at me expectantly, I could feel the tension they radiated. They knew that something was planned, but could only guess what would happen. The last time I had ordered to celebrate a Sabbat of this dimension, new leaders had been sent to Madrid and Hamburg. Maybe they thought something similar would take place.

I raised my hands, and all the chatter and whispering stopped. The torches, the only sources of light apart from the ventilation shafts in the ceiling, were extinguished one by one. Darkness, silence. I waited for some time, until I was sure that everybody was paying absolute attention, then beckoned Isabella to step forward. She was carrying a small candle, its tiny flame was burning brightly in the blackness.

Our rituals were based on those of the Catholic Church, and one little detail we had adopted was the Flamma Aeterna, the Eternal Light. Taken from the first pyre ever lighted by a coven, the flame had been nourished ever since, and had never been allowed to go out. Every new bonfire was lighted with it, and when a new coven was founded, the fire was taken there too. It had been spread over all Europe now, light in the darkness.

Isabella had reached the pyre, was bending down to light the straw that had been placed under the logs so they would catch fire easily. The candle flickered, for a moment I thought it would go out. But she shielded the flame with her hand until it burned steadily again, and set the pyre afire. The drums began to beat steadily, the rhythm growing faster as the fire spread over the whole pyre, burned brightly, grew higher. The coven was beginning to move to the sounds, only waited for another sign to begin the dancing, the singing. They had already arranged themselves in the circles, waited for Isabella to return to my side with her candle.

"Let the dancing begin!" I shouted, smiling at the cheerful screams. The flock moved around the pyre, they began to sing the old hymns to the rhythm of the drums.

"Dies irae, dies illa solvet saeclum in favilla..." They had to sing loudly to be heard over the roaring flames, the fire was at its full height already. Faster they moved, dancing, stomping their feet, twisting their bodies, all to the steady heart beat the drums created. A turmoil of bodies in black robes. Leaping high into the air they hummed to the songs others sang.

They were chanting hymns they did not even understand.

Nothing had a meaning to them anymore, a Sabbat was entertaining, it was not something sacred to them as it had been to the early coven. They could not understand it anymore, did not want to. But they were enjoying themselves greatly, would dance until the dawn forced them into their coffins. I could smell the blood sweat breaking out on their bodies, the heat and the fast movements were doing their work. Soon the first blood sharing would begin, when the younger ones could not stand the onslaught on their senses, the teasing smell of the blood anymore.

The smoke was burning in my eyes, the ventilation openings were not wide enough for a fire of this size. Usually the Sabbats were celebrated on a hill from where we had a wonderful view of our city, where nobody had to worry about proper air circulation and smoke. Tonight I had wanted to create this effect, the smoke would add to the mysterious atmosphere I was hoping to achieve.

I caught a questioning glance from Isabella; was it time already? Looking around, I saw that the coven was completely absorbed in their dancing and chanting, they were not noticing anymore what was happening outside of the circles. Perfect. Getting into order again would take them long enough to allow me to leave.

A few were already sharing the blood; a couple was standing close to me, a woman who had been in the coven for more than a century already, and her young fledgling, mere weeks old. The young one had her face buried in her maker's neck, I could smell that she was taking blood. The elder vampire held her fledgling tight, and was already nibbling at her throat. They would complete the circle, see each other's thoughts once again when the blood broke the silence between maker and fledgling.

The singing stopped for a moment, then began anew, faster this time. The drum beats were chasing the dancers, making their movements seem more frantic, they appeared to struggle to keep pace with the hammering sounds.

Now.

"Farewell, Isabella. And good luck." She looked at me and nodded.  
"Don't forget to leave our territory."  
"I hope I will never see you again." Smiling, she reached out and touched my cheek.  
"As do I."

I walked towards the fire as if I wanted to join the dance. Nothing unusual, it was something I had always done, at least for a little while. No need to distance myself too much from those I sought to control. The heat of the flames warmed my face, the smoke was stinging in my eyes. A slight smell of sulphur, Hell's fire. The last Sabbat I would ever see. I knew I would not miss this.

"Dies irae!" I screamed as loud as I could, throwing my arms up. "Aurea prima sata est aetas, quae vindice nullo!" Slowly the singing around me stopped, the coven was trying to make sense of what I was saying. "Non solum mortales immortati sunt, noli me tangere! Urbi et orbi lavavisset aer." I kept shouting random Latin phrases that came to my mind, louder and louder, careful not to say anything that might actually make sense. Fragments of hymns and prayers, mixed with quotes I had heard somewhere. The others were staring at me, bewildered, not knowing what to think of this.

One of the oldest members of the coven, he had been with us already when Allesandra and Amadeo had still been here, came forward hesitantly. I could see the confusion in his eyes, the concern; he slowly reached out to touch my hand. With a shriek I backed away, towards the pyre. I felt the heat of the flames against my back, a few more steps, and I would not have to worry about anything anymore. The fire seemed to be calling to me, seemed to open its arms in a welcoming embrace. Maybe this was where I should go? I could end it tonight, a final step, and all would be over. One step. Would it hurt? Those who had been forced into the flames had always screamed, but those who mad gone deliberately had looked happy.

No, I would not step into the fire, I wanted to leave here and live, not die tonight. I turned, too fast for some of the younger ones to see, and leapt over the pyre, praying that my robe would not catch fire. Confused, frightened shouts from a few of the others, did they think I had thrown myself into the flames? No time to wonder about that now. I landed on the other side, the coven receded immediately, giving room. Were they afraid of me? I glared at them, trying to make my movements disjointed; they stared at me, had no idea what this all meant. Screaming a few more times for good measure, I turned and ran.

They did not follow me, I would have heard them, sensed them. I sped through the tunnels, heading for the main entrance. Far behind I heard Isabella shout, telling the others to remain calm. Were they panicking now that I was gone? What would they do? Suddenly I was not that sure anymore that Isabella would be able to maintain her new position, but what should I care about that. That chapter of my life was over, and she, being a character of that chapter, was not important anymore. It was time to think of the things to come. But first I had to get out of here, escape the coven, hide somewhere. I would not be able to get far away from Rome, dawn was not that far anymore.

I reached the small hall that lay directly behind the entrance; I could already see the stars outside. But something made me hesitate, this had been too easy until now. Something was wrong here. I stopped, looked around, and finally decided to use one of the small, half-forgotten openings the early Christians had used. Those exits were so well hidden sometimes that most of the coven did not even know of their existence, let alone their exact position. I had discovered some of them during the years, and I doubted that they were known to the others.

A few quick turns in the labyrinth of tunnels, I could only guess beneath which parts of the city I was moving. I heard shouted commands, were they finally following me? I did not stop to check, if they did, it was only lost time, and if they did not, why should I care? Another turn, I was standing in a crypt now. From a small recess a narrow tunnel led back in the direction from which I had come; I would leave through a hidden opening close to the main entrance.

It was completely dark here, the passage had made so many turns that no light reached the area in which I was moving now. I had to slow down, not even with my vampiric vision I could see anymore. With outstretched arms I proceeded, touching the crumbling walls sometimes. Carefully shielding my mind, I scanned for the others; I had to know where they were now that I was getting close to the opening. I could not risk stumbling into a group of them who were guarding the main entrance to make sure I did not escape. Isabella, what have you got in store? You have arranged something, I know that.

I sensed them swarming through the tunnels, they were searching the area as I had told Isabella they should do. None of them were coming after me; but somewhere in front of me I could feel the unmistakable presence of a group of vampires. They were not in the passage I was using, but outside the catacombs as I had supposed they would be, watching to see if I left the underground refuge. I felt like a fox in his den, with the hunters waiting outside until I came out.

Finally I reached the opening, a small gap hidden behind a shrubbery. None of the coven were here, but when I peered through the leaves, I could see them standing about twenty metres away from me, guarding the main access to the catacombs. It amazed me that they had gotten there so far, the group seemed rather organized, not a chaotic, confused flock. Most, if not all of them, were supporters of Isabella, and when I spotted a face I knew only too well, I could imagine what they were doing here.

Jacques was leading this group, he had certainly been here all the time. In a talk with Isabella I had mentioned that I would hardly leave through the main entrance, so she had drawn the obvious conclusion that my escape route was ending somewhere near it. And so she had sent her right hand here to make sure I did not interfere with her plans in the future. Certainly Jacques and his group had order to kill me if they saw me; they would not have let me get away. I had to be careful, if they saw me, I would be in serious trouble.

I could not wait until they left their position, I needed to get away from here as far as possible tonight. They would search the catacombs for me, and maybe discover the passage I had used; and the guards Isabella had surely positioned everywhere would not leave their places before dawn. I could not possibly go back into the tunnels, the risk of discovery was too great. There was no real choice left to me, I had to get past those guards.

Moving slowly so I would not accidentally step on twigs or set pebbles rolling over the ground, I left the hiding place behind the bushes; I hoped that they would not notice me at all, or only when there was enough space between them and me to get away. Hushing from shadow to shadow, I did not dare breath; my mind was veiled completely, they would not be able to feel me. What I had to fear was that one of them looked in my direction and saw a moving silhouette; they would know immediately that it was me who was trying to get away. A few more steps and I would reach the bank of the Tiber, in the river I could disappear.

Suddenly I heard a shout behind me, they had seen me! I heard them come after me, did not bother to hide myself anymore but ran towards the water. Jacques was screaming at the others to get me, that Isabella would be pleased with them if they caught me and that she would kill them if they did not. A clever move, they had nothing to lose if they attacked me, even if they died when I defended myself, they had at least tried. Jacques, you have learned. But not enough. Soon you will see how unimportant you really are.

I reached the embankment, saw the blackness glittering below in the moonlight; a final step, then I jumped as far as I could and dove into the icy water. Not surfacing again I swam downstream, let the current carry me. I heard a splash, then another, they were following me still, how far would they go? Only two of them, and when I scanned the river banks, I could detect another one. They could not hope to get me, they were mere fledglings, it would not be too difficult for me to fight them. But I wanted to avoid anything that could delay me, I had to leave the city, the country.

Until I felt the others give up chasing me, I remained in the water, then swam towards the bank. I did not know where I was, but that did not matter now, I had left the coven, and they had not been able to stop me. Isabella was in charge now, and I did not care anymore what happened to the flock, whether they survived or not. That time of my life was over, I had given the coven too many years, no longer would I have to worry about the right way to govern them. Now I only had to take care of one life, and that was mine.

Climbing out of the water, I stood in a dark street, a puddle forming around my feet. My robe was heavy with water and clung to my body, but that did not matter. I would simply hunt, choose a victim for his clothes as well as the blood, and would not need to think what garments were appropriate for a coven master. I was free, free to go, free to think, free to live.


End file.
